Category Archives: Views

Travel Guide: A One-Day Tour Of Madrid, Spain

DW Travel (February 18, 2024): Madrid is one of the most visited cities in Europe and a popular travel destination for the LGBTQAI+-Community. The Spanish capital also boasts spectacular architecture, delicious cuisine and a relaxed, inclusive atmosphere.

Video timeline: 00:00 Intro 00:32 Churros 00:53 The Royal Palace of Madrid 02:22 Plaza Mayor 03:12 Retiro Park with Palacio de Cristal 04:20 Chueca district, Madrid’s queer neighborhood 04:44 Meeting @enriquealex 06:46 San Anton food market

Diana Piñeros shows you how to get the very best out of a day in Madrid: from the Royal Palace and the Plaza Mayor, to the queer-friendly Chueca neighborhood.

The New York Times — Sunday, February 18, 2024

Biden Administration Is Said to Slow Early Stage of Shift to Electric Cars

The change to planned rules was an election-year concession to labor unions and auto executives, according to people familiar with the plan.

A $450 Million Blow to Trump’s Finances, and His Identity

A huge penalty for deceiving lenders about the value of his properties and his own net worth, if upheld, leaves Donald J. Trump in a perilous financial position.

The New York Times — Saturday, February 17, 2024

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Trump Fraud Trial Penalty Will Exceed $450 Million

The ruling in Donald J. Trump’s civil fraud case could cost him all his available cash. The judge said that the former president’s “complete lack of contrition” bordered on pathological.

Aleksei Navalny, Russian Opposition Leader, Dies in Prison at 47

The Kremlin’s fiercest critic, whose work brought arrests, attacks and a near-fatal poisoning in 2020, had spent months in isolation.

Biden Tried to Show Solidarity With East Palestine. He Found Divisions Instead.

The president visited the Ohio town over a year after a devastating train derailment. He faced a divided community anxious over the long-term health consequences of an environmental disaster.

Trump Privately Expresses Support for a 16-Week Abortion Ban

In supporting a 16-week ban with exceptions, Donald Trump appears to be trying to satisfy social conservatives who want to further restrict abortion access and voters who want more modest limits.

The New York Times — Friday, February 16, 2024

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Palestinians Flee as Israeli Forces Raid a Major Hospital in Gaza

Israel says Hamas routinely operates within — and beneath — places like Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, using them as shields, and has held Israeli hostages there. The group denies the charges.

Trump’s NATO Threat Reflects a Wider Shift on America’s Place in the World

Alliances that were once seen as the bulwark of the Cold War are now viewed as an outdated albatross by a significant segment of the American public.

Losing Ground, Ukraine Seeks New Positions Around Avdiivka

As Russian forces breach a supply line and seek to encircle opposing soldiers, Ukraine’s commanders maneuver to “more advantageous positions.”

California’s Push for Ethnic Studies Runs Into the Israel-Hamas War

The state’s high school students will be required to take the subject, but some object to how the discipline addresses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The New York Times — Thursday, Feb 15, 2024

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Hundreds Flee One of Gaza’s Last Working Hospitals, Fearing Israeli Attack

Israeli forces have been expanding their operations in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis for weeks, and on Wednesday called for civilians at a hospital there to leave for “safer spaces.”

House Republican Majority Shrinks Again as Congress Faces Critical Issues

The victory of Tom Suozzi, a Democrat, in a special election in New York will chip away at the already thin Republican hold over the House.

A Feared Ex-General Appears Set to Become Indonesia’s New Leader

Prabowo Subianto was ejected from the military on accusations of rights abuses. Now, he is projected to win the country’s presidency outright in the first round.

Two Students, Two Views, One Campus Conflict in the Midwest

At the University of Michigan, a Palestinian activist and a self-described Zionist counterprotester have little in common, except the way they were shaped by life on campus.

National Geographic Magazine – March 2024

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National Geographic Magazine (February 14, 2024) The new issue features ‘The Hidden World of Hyenas – Why these misunderstood – and maligned – animals are one of Africa’s most successful predators…

These creatures of the ‘twilight zone’ are vital to our oceans

With with big eyes and very long teeth.

The species help harness carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, deep in the ocean, but much is still unknown about this region and its fascinating inhabitants.

Love them or hate them, hyenas are getting the last laugh

The spotted hyena is Africa’s most successful predator—and one of its most misunderstood animals. But decades of cutting edge research is yielding greater understanding, respect, and protection.

The New York Times — Wednesday, Feb 14, 2024

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House Republicans Impeach Mayorkas for Border Policies

In a redo of their first failed attempt, Republicans pushed through the charges over solid Democratic opposition, making the homeland security secretary the first sitting cabinet member to be impeached.

Haley’s Hard-Line Immigration Record Runs Counter to Trump’s Attacks

Donald Trump has accused Nikki Haley of siding with Democrats on the border. In South Carolina, friends and foes alike do not recognize that portrait of the former governor.

Prevailing on Ukraine Funding, McConnell Took Political Hits

The minority leader’s handling of the border and foreign aid legislation drew scorching criticism from far-right Republicans, though he scored a legislative win on an issue he regards as existential and part of his legacy.

A Tunnel Offers Clues to How Hamas Uses Gaza’s Hospitals

New evidence shows Hamas operated under Al-Shifa Hospital but falls short of proving Israel’s early claims that there was a command center there.

The New York Times — Tuesday, February 13, 2024

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Israeli Raid in Rafah Rescues 2 Hostages and Kills Dozens, Officials Say

The hostages, who had been held by Hamas, returned to Israel after a military operation that Gazan health officials said killed at least 67 Palestinians.

A ‘Democracy Party’ Like No Other: One of the World’s Biggest Elections

The celebration of the act of casting a vote has particular resonance in Indonesia, which until a few decades ago was a brutal dictatorship.

Favoring Foes Over Friends, Trump Threatens to Upend International Order

Former President Donald J. Trump suggested that he would incite Russia to attack “delinquent” U.S. allies, foreshadowing potentially far-reaching changes in the world order if he wins the White House again.

Big Burden of Migrant Influx Strains Denver

The city has marshaled resources for the new arrivals, but after Congress rejected a deal aimed at slowing the flow of migrants, its support system is starting to buckle.

The New York Times — Monday, February 12, 2024

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An Outburst by Trump on NATO May Push Europe to Go It Alone

Many were alarmed by comments that he would “encourage” Russia to attack U.S. allies that didn’t pay into NATO, but European leaders were already pondering the prospect of an alliance without the United States.

Israel Says It Will Protect Civilians in a Gazan City It Is Determined to Invade

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would invade refugee-packed Rafah, but was drafting a plan to help people get out of harm’s way.

‘This Is Where I Want to Be’

Kibbutz Kfar Azza was evacuated after more than 60 residents were murdered and at least 18 were kidnapped on Oct. 7. But one family has returned.

‘It Is Suffocating’: A Top Liberal University Is Under Attack in India

A campaign to make the country an explicitly Hindu nation has had a chilling effect on left-leaning and secular institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University.